Podcast: Luis Robert’s Injury Impact

Rundown

2:03: Luis Robert heading to the IL

4:47: White Sox plans without Robert for 10 days, 30 days, or 60 days

10:31: White Sox outfield shades of 2007 squad

15:46: Why Andrew Vaughn needs to stay with the MLB squad

20:35: Time for Jose Abreu and Yasmani Grandal to step up

33:05: White Sox team struggles when Lucas Giolito starts

39:56: Series Preview – Cincinnati Reds

51:31: P.O. Sox

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As Cirensica

If Robert goes on a 60 days IL stint, Hahn needs to do something via trade. Eaton and Leury are fragile outfielders, and over exposing them and putting a lot of responsibilities on their shoulder will do either 1) break them (which will make the White Sox to rely on…oh boy…I don’t know) or 2) hurt the team with bad outfield offensive production, or both.

A couple of uninspiring outfielders out there that can be obtained via trade cheaply: Juan Lagares is on the Angels bench not doing much, and I am not sure if the Mets have a real role for Kevin Pillar.

Last edited 2 years ago by As Cirensica
HallofFrank

Assuming Engel is close, I wouldn’t mind giving him 2 weeks before making a move. I don’t hate a Vaughn-Engel-Eaton (Garcia as 4th) outfield, considering the circumstances. I also wouldn’t mind giving Luis Gonzalez some looks. Was it Callis who had some (relatively) encouraging to say about him?

That said, Pillar would be a nice add—and someone who could add depth even if Robert and Eloy return.

Joliet Orange Sox

I think 17% better than league average has to be viewed as good even if the league average is “bad” and especially if it leads the league. I think stats for players and teams need to be compared to the league those stats happen in.

In 1968, the Tigers ran away with the American League (pre-divisions) winning 103 games and winning the pennant by 12 games. The Tiger pitching was very good (3rd out of 10 in ERA+) but they had by far the best offense in the league with a team OPS of 0.695 in that year before the mound was lowered and the AL league average OPS was 0.637 and the 2nd best team OPS was 0.666. The Sox actually lead the league in ERA+ but finished tied for 8th with only 67 wins because of a genuinely bad offense that finished last in the league with a team OPS of 0.595. (Tommy McCraw led the Sox with a 0.375 SLG which was achieved with 16 doubles, 12 triples, and 9 home runs.)

jorgefabregas

Oakland’s “bad” line is league average because of the park factor. Strikeout rates are at all time highs because of the phenomenal velocity and movement that pitchers are getting. BABIP on grounders is also down because teams are shifting more efficiently by cutting down on right hand hitter shifts, which turned out to be counterproductive according to available research.

I don’t think we can compare the White Sox unfavorably to batting lines of different eras. That’s the whole reason we league and park (and era) adjust wRC+ and the like.

metasox

Not having Robert in CF might also expose Vaughn defensively a bit more.